MMA warns govt against women’s bill passage

LAHORE, Nov 5: Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal central leader Hafiz Husain Ahmad on Sunday warned the government against getting the Women Protection Bill, as approved by a select committee, passed by the National Assembly. Speaking at the Lahore Press Club, he claimed the MMA officials would quit the assemblies the day the government tried to get the bill passed through the National Assembly. “But the alliance is certain that the government will not commit the blunder,” he hastened to add.

The government had failed to bring the women rights bill in the assembly during the last session and would not be able to take it up in the next session starting on Nov 10 as well, he said. He said the government would not risk bringing the bill to the NA as it was not in a position to deal with the situation likely to arise out of en mass resignations. And the MMA was not dependent upon the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy for launching the anti-government movement, he said, adding all the MMA wished was form a grand opposition alliance and launch a movement against the government.

But if the ARD did not want to join hands with the MMA, it would not make any big difference. The MMA, on its own, had decided to launch the movement after making sincere efforts to avoid split among the opposition parties. He said the leaderships of both MMA and ARD had received the resignations and they would be submitted at a suitable time.
Source: Dawn
Date:11/6/2006